Thieves Poison Guard Dog Before Stealing From Modesto Business

MODESTO (CBS13) – Instead of keeping criminals away, a guard dog in Modesto became their target and was poisoned, his owner says.

Dragon the dog is trained to protect the property, but he wasn’t enough to keep burglars out. The German Shepherd is every ounce a ferocious security dog trained to keep bad guys out. When burglars targeted the south Modesto work yard Dragon protected, Dragon’s owner noticed something wasn’t right.

Gleaves believes thieves poisoned the dog so they could get their hands on thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment.

“They threw something over…you can use antifreeze; you can give them tranquilizers; there’s a million things,” said Gleaves.

Gleaves didn’t have to go far to find his stolen goods. Tracks led him to a rundown motel a few doors down.

“We proceeded to go room to room to room to room to get my small tools,” he said. “I’ve spent over $40,000 on fencing, alarms, cameras and dogs. I don’t know what else I can do.”

Business and property owners recently voiced concerns at a special meeting with Stanislaus County law enforcement leaders. It was a community action fueled by frustration. Some property owners vowed to band together and form a citizen’s patrol.

“Diligence and presence here will make a difference. If they we are watching and know we are going to disrupt their operation, they will take it someplace else,” said Gleaves.

Gleaves’ yard is covered in surveillance cameras. His next step is to install better lighting so he can get a better look at criminals.